By the middle of last week, I was a mess. Covered in paint, dirt, sweat, and sunscreen on the outside and filled with shame, frustration, and doubt on the inside. I was a couple days into my latest project, a street mural in downtown Loveland and things were NOT going according to plan. I had done the research, gotten the right materials, and prepared, but at this point in the process, I was removing all the paint I had laid down and needed to start over….completely. I under-estimated the amount of cleaning that needed to be done and the paint was not sticking. I knew what to tell myself… “T ..read more

The other day, Lucas and Ethan were wrestling and “playing” (also known as dealing with moments of boredom through irritating each other). As usual, someone ended up getting hurt. Lucas came over to the kitchen table and immediately put on his sunglasses so we couldn’t see him tearing up from the collision. We have a natural tendency to hide. We joke, we distract, we make ourselves unavailable through ear buds, phones, and full planners. We are so uncomfortable with people seeing us when we are vulnerable, hurt, or on the verge of breaking. We often do the same thing when it comes to things w ..read more

I stepped into the clinic with butterflies in my stomach. I had no idea what to expect. I had never worked with students that have special needs. Sabra, the music therapy clinic director, did her best to prepare me and we worked out some modifications to my collage and painting techniques to accommodate students, but I still felt completely out of my league. Could I do this? What would happen? Was this going to work? I had the exact same feelings of inadequacy and fear when I stepped into a middle school to teach an 8th grade group of gifted and talented kids. Same questions, same worries. So ..read more

I’ve had a box of early 1900s newspapers for several years. A large majority of it contains news and info about World War I. Every time I would use some of the papers for a piece, I would avoid those sections because I didn’t think they had anything to say for my work or anything to say to me or to people who view my work. That changed last month. A fellow artist at 45 Degree Gallery had shared some images of pinion pine trees that were located around the Garden of the Gods and also in places of her south western travels. I was captivated by the whorls in the bark, the deep grain and the orga ..read more

“I feel like I’m drowning” “I’m so overwhelmed” “I don’t even know where to start.” Not only have I been hearing this from other artists, but I’ve been feeling it myself! I've been doing some decluttering at home, dealing family needs, and then fitting my art business in the spare moments. These feelings and thoughts ebb and flow with the circumstances that come up, but I think this is a pretty common feeling no matter your profession or family situation. These thoughts and feelings can paralyze you, depress you, cause anger, frustration, etc. Not a great place to be, right? How do you get th ..read more

I’m a complete and whole human being without the presence of tasks and work. I can joyfully and fearlessly lay down all the balls I’m juggling and nothing terrible happens. This is something I never would have discovered or believed had I not removed work and tasks from my life for a 24-hour period of time, once a week. I’m so glad I did. In fact, I think it has changed me in the most profound way possible. And it continues to change me and shape me into a person that knows how to trust, rest, surrender and just be. What I’m talking about is taking a sabbath rest every week. This is not a new ..read more

The words we use and focus on say a lot about what is going on in our minds and hearts. In my art, I’ve found myself focusing on a lot of kinder, quieter words, but also words that are more playful. Why? Because in the day to day, I’m fighting for my soul. It's funny, I say them to my sons all the time and my friends because I know they are so important, but I don't really speak them to my own heart. If I'm not paying attention, I will get to the end of the day feeling "soul-tired" from words I speak to myself like "not enough," "too much" or "if only." Creating art from the words that I want ..read more

Sometimes you try things and they surprise you. That’s how this “word of the year” thing was for me. I’d done it off and on for several years, but last year, I decided to make it part of my art practice for a bit. After some self reflection and review, I felt like “listen” was the right fit for me. It wasn’t condemning or pushy…just inviting. It really did feel like it was something God wanted me to focus on for the year. What was surprising about this experiment is that it worked. I grabbed on to that word and I kept it close all year. I would start my day with a prayer for help to listen. I ..read more

This past year, I’ve painted very large and I’ve painted quite small. Since joining the 25 Days of Minis program three years ago, I’ve really enjoyed the routine of finishing up my painting year with small works. Why? A couple things have floated to the surface as I’ve considered this question. Life lessons that I can carry with me outside of the studio. They might help you as well. Working Small Helps with Fear--When I am holding a blank 6 x 6 panel in my hands, the size of it is not intimidating, but endearing and sings of potential. Often, when I am painting large, I feel a sense of overwh ..read more

At a recent show, I had the opportunity to chat with a collector and friend about a piece that she really connected to, called “Keep Going.” She was so encouraged by the story of this piece and the circumstances that inspired it that I thought I might share it in my blog for further encouragement. The context for this painting was a trip that I had taken over spring break in March of 2020. Our whole family converged upon Steamboat Springs for some late winter activities and fun. It really was a wonderful trip, but I was still carrying around a pretty heavy load of stress and worry related to ..read more